Author: Victor Olayiwola

Across Africa, heatwaves, droughts, cyclones and intense flooding are no longer rare or exceptional. These events, once considered unusual, have become increasingly frequent as climate patterns shift. Major African cities are now among the fastest-deteriorating regions in terms of air quality, with pollution levels projected to climb even further in the coming years. While extreme weather events are visibly damaging communities, destroying property and affecting businesses, experts warn that there is another crisis unfolding beneath the surface. The mental health consequences of climate change—particularly on the workforce—are severe, far-reaching and often overlooked. These concerns were emphasised during a recent International…

Binance (www.Binance.com) today announced the launch of Binance Junior (https://apo-opa.co/49UWuBE), a new parent-controlled app and sub-account for kids and teens, ages 6-17, that offers parents a family-centric platform to build crypto wealth and savings, helping prepare their children for a digital financial future. Binance Junior allows parents to open and manage crypto savings accounts on behalf of their children, enabling young users to save and earn crypto in the account through Binance Flexible Simple Earn, while restricting trading activities to ensure safety. Parents can fund the Binance Junior account via their master account or through on-chain transfers. By offering controlled…

Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) , and CDG Invest, part of the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG) Group, have signed a landmark agreement formalising CDG Invest’s entry into the Growth and Resilience Platform for Africa (GRAf). The agreement was announced in Rabat during the 2025 Market Days, the three-day centerpiece event of the Africa Investment Forum. GRAf is a co-investment platform promoted by CDP and the African Development Bank Group as part of the implementation of Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa. CDP is Italy’s flagship development finance institution. Under the Mattei Plan for Africa,…

The Arab Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Program signed the Membership Agreement with the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, officially welcoming the country as a new Member. The signing ceremony took place in Abuja on the sidelines of the 5th AATB Board of Governors Meeting, hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The Agreement was signed between Eng. Nasser Al-Thekair, GM Trade & Business Development at the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), and Mr. Clement Kouakou, Deputy Director of the Ministerial Cabinet, Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development of Cote d’Ivoire. The membership reflects Côte d’Ivoire’s strategic commitment to strengthening economic…

Changan Automobile (www.GlobalChangan.com) unveiled its latest lineup of new energy vehicles (NEVs) at the Thailand International Motor Expo 2025, presenting models across AVATR and CHANGAN DEEPAL. The showcase highlighted its leading technology and deep-rooted heritage in the automotive industry. Taking place from 29th November to 10th December at IMPACT Challenger Hall, Muang Thong Thani, CHANGAN’s presence marks a bold step in delivering intelligent mobility to Thai customers. AVATR, the brand that brings the concept of  “Emotive Luxury,” headlined the event with the debut of the first-class elegant luxury SUV — AVATR 07. Lead by AVATR’s European design team, the model…

The Arab Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Program and the Federal Republic of Nigeria formalized a partnership with the signing of the AATB Membership Agreement, officially welcoming Nigeria as the Program’s newest member country. The signing ceremony took place in Abuja on the sidelines of the 5th AATB Board of Governors Meeting, hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The Membership Agreement was signed by Eng. Adeeb Y. Al Aama, the CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and AATB Program Secretary General, and H.E. Mr. Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Federal Republic…

Kaspersky’s (www.Kaspersky.co.za) detection systems discovered an average of 500,000 malicious files per day in 2025, marking a 7% increase compared to the previous year. Certain types of threats saw growth globally – there was a 59% surge in password stealer detections, a 51% growth in spyware detections, and a 6% growth in backdoor detections compared to 2024. These findings are part of the Kaspersky Security Bulletin (https://apo-opa.co/44CY5Zj) series where we review the key cybersecurity trends of the past year. Windows remains the primary target for cyberattacks. 48% of users on Windows were targeted by different types of threats throughout 2025. For…

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved financing of €25 million to help Cameroon’s Crédit Communautaire d’Afrique-Bank (CCA-Bank) expand its trade finance offerings to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and other businesses. The facility, approved at a Board session held on 1 December in Abidjan, will be deployed as a Transaction Guarantee (https://apo-opa.co/4pMGlTC), a Bank Group product that provides risk cover to eligible African banks for their trade finance transactions. “The facility will support Cameroon’s economy by facilitating imports of equipment for the industrial, agro-industrial and telecommunications sectors. It will also enable the African Development…

With upstream capital expenditure set to reach $41 billion in 2026, Africa’s rising exploration and production (E&P) activity highlights the evolving landscape of above-ground attractiveness across the continent. According to the African Energy Chamber’s (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org) State of African Energy 2026 Outlook, African countries currently fall mostly in the mid-range of global attractiveness scores. However, a series of reforms, fiscal adjustments and strategic licensing initiatives are set to improve investor returns and deepen engagement across the continent. Above-Ground Trends Shaping Investment Political change, civil activism and shifting governance structures are creating new dynamics for African E&P. The waning of legacy European…

Black Swan, a Mauritius-based FinTech startup, has been named the winner of the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) 2025 (https://Meltwater.org), following a high-energy Grand Finale at Innovation City, Cape Town on November 26, 2025. Led by the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa) and powered by Absa Group, the MEST Africa Challenge is one of the continent’s leading Pan-African pitch competitions, providing a platform for early-stage startups to secure funding, mentorship, and global visibility. The 2025 edition turned its focus to FinTech; spotlighting startups and embedded financial solutions driving inclusion, smarter payments, and digital transformation across Africa’s economies. Co-founded by…